Nine food swaps to kickstart your health

Swap white flour for wholemeal – a simple swap will increase the fibre content of any recipe with little difference to the recipe’s consistency or taste.

Swap breadcrumbs for oats – most commercial breadcrumbs are made from refined white bread and contain several other processed and unnecessary additives.  Oats can be quickly blitzed in a food processor to make a fibre-and protein-rich crumb.

Swap sour cream or cream cheese for Greek yoghurt – the key is to seek out regular 10% fat Greek yoghurt rather than the low-fat options which will not mix as effectively.

Swap white rice for black rice – nutrient rich and contains the antioxidant anthocyanin.  Rich in iron and vitamin E, it’s more nutritious than white rice and contains slightly more protein than brown rice.

Swap stock cubes for liquid stock – a much healthier option to concentrated stock cubes which are exceptionally high in sodium (salt).

Swap white pasta for legume pasta -because they have exceptionally high amounts of protein and dietary fibre you will likely find you need a lot less of this type of pasta to feel full and satisfied.

Swap cereal for bran or oats – nutritionally you can’t go wrong with plain bran flakes or regular oats – the most nutritious breakfast cereal options you can enjoy – which are both much cheaper than most boxed cereals and don’t contain the high amounts of sugars and sodium.

Swap ice-cream for frozen yoghurt – frozen yoghurt has a dairy base and is delicious, but contains a fraction of the fat and calories found in ice-cream.

Swap from sugar to sugar alternatives – there is a growing range of natural lower-sugar replacements.  Surprisingly palatable, these plant-based sugar substitutes work well in baking and hot drinks to add plenty of sweetness minus the extra calories.